Agitatob and conveyeb



May 30, 1933. PEARCE 1,911,528

I AGITATOR AND CQNVEYER Filed June--7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR y1933- E. s. PEARCE AGITATOR AND CONVEYER Filed June 7, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 w lt lNvENTo 4 WW am .W.%

ATTORN EX Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orricn EDWIN S.PEARCE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAILWAY SEE-VICE &SUPPLY CORPORATION, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANAAGITATOR AND CONVEYER Application filed June 7,

My invention relates to conveying apparatus and, particularly, to acombined agitator and conveyer adapted for use in a number of differentsteps in journal box packing reclamation processes, for instance, in thesteps of initial soaking of used packing, in the drying step, cleaningstep, andin the final washing step, whereby such process is renderedcontinuous in operation and more effective as a used journal box packingrenovating means.

The process above referred to relates to reclamation of used journal boxpacking that is made up of a plurality of fibers and is used principallyas a means for maintaining lubricant adjacent a bearing and from whichthe lubricant seeps by capillary attraction onto or into the bearing.The reclamation process particularly referred to embodies a number ofseparate and distinct steps, namely, the step of initially soaking theused packing with the dirty oil which is at a temperature ofsubstantially 200 C, then subjecting the dirty oil soaked and heatedpacking to an extracting operation wherein substantially all of thedirty oil is removed therefrom uniformly leaving such packing in a stageof fiber saturation only with all of the oil removed from theinterstices among the fibers, then subjecting the packing to a cleaningand drying operation wherein it is conveyed through a heated current ofair; then subjecting it to a washing operation wherein the packing isconveyed through and subjected to a bath of clean oil in a heatedcondition whereby any dirty oil lint, or loose ends remaining thereinare removed; then subjecting it to another extracting action; and thenimpregnating the renovated packing with clean, renovated oil to thedesired degree by a suitable apparatus whereby it is again ready for usein its desired capacity.

Throughout these various steps there are a number of instances whereinsimultaneous conveying and agitation of the packing is desirable and itis the object of my invention to provide'a conveying and agitatingapparatus of such naturethat the packingwill be agitated, while beingconveyed, to suchan extent that the fibers will be shredded,

1930. Serial No. 459,771.

picked, pulled, loosened, and flufled, whereby the specific reclamationoperation taking place at that time, as well as subsequent operations,may be thoroughly accomplished; and to provide an more readily andapparatus of the above type wherein the packing while being conveyedthrough a bath of oil or other liquid will be simultaneously subjectedto agitation and to a bath of the oilor other liquid imposed thereonwith considerable force. 7

Various other objects and advantageous features of my invention may beseen in the following description and one embodiment thereof may be seenin the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of referencedesignate corresponding parts, and

wherein Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing one emrod constructed inaccordance with my in V vention and as used in this apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing the structural relationship between theconnecting rods and the supporting elements. 7 Referring to Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, I have shown a combined agitator and conveyer constructedin accordance with my m vention in combination with and disposed withina tank 1 which, in a journal box packing reclamation process, is termeda soaking tank and through which the packing is conveyed and at the sametime subjected to a bath of dirty'oil at a temperature of about 200,this temperature being attained and maintained by heating means 4: inthe bot-tom of the tank. As shown, the greater portion 2 of the bottomof the tank 1 slopes toward the receiving end of the tank and a shorterportion 3 slopes toward the delivery end of the tank and intermediatethe ends-of these sloped bottom portions a drain 4: is provided for thetank. It is preferable that other sloping bottom portions extendlaterally downwardly from the side walls of the tank 1 to the low pointin the bottom wherein the drain 4 is disposed.

To have the bottom of the tank 1 sloping in the manner just describedprovides a tank wherein the dirt or heavy foreign material washed out ofthe packing being subjected to the dirty oil will tend to flow downthese inclined surfaces and into a relatively small area from which itmay be more easily removed than if it were spread over the entire bottomof the tank. Such inclined bottoms also serve to decrease the volume ofoil required to maintain the oil to the proper level in the tank whichis conducive to a greater circulation of the oil, easier heating andeasier maintenance of the temperature of the oil, and acceleration ofthe removal of dirt and other matter from the waste being treated.

The conveying and agitating mechanism is suspended so as to be inclinedwithin the tank 1 by means of suitable straps 5 at one end thereof andstraps 6 extending downwardly along the interior side surfaces of thetank and connected to a rod 7 that extends through ears 8 on one end ofthe conveying and agitatingframe. At the receiving end of the tank, nostraps such as 5 are provided but the conveying and agitating device issupported in the tank by means of straps 9, a rod or bolt 10, and ears11, as shown.

Such combined agitator and conveyer comprises suitable side rails 12 and13 and cross members 14 and 15 to which such side rails are connectedand which form bearing supports for crank shafts 16 and 17 rotatablydisposed at each end of the frame consisting of the side rails 12 and 13and the cross members 14: and 15. Each crank shaft 16 and 17 embodies aplurality of crank arms 38 that are preferably set on quarters oppositethe crank shaft throw but each crank arm is set on the same quarter asthe coinciding crank arm on the other crank shaft. These two crankshafts are operatively interconnected by means of cranks l8 and 19disposed on the ends of the respective crank shafts 16 and 17, thecranks on each side of the frame being connected together by connectingrods 20.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the crank shaft 16 is driven by any suitablemeans through the medium of the shaft 21 and gear 22 disposed on the endof such shaft and meshing with a gear 23 rigidly mounted on the end ofthe crank shaft 16. Thus, since the crank shaft 16 is operativelyconnected with the crank shaft 17 in the manner just described, rotationof the crank shaft 16 will cause simultaneous rotation of the crankshaft 17 at the same rate of speed. Both of the shafts 16 and 17 havethe same number of cranks and all cranks are, preferably, indexed in thesame relative position and have the same throw. The crank shafts 16 and17 are journalled in bearings 24 and 25 in the members 1 1 and 15 of theframe.

A connecting rod as shown in Fig. 4 is mounted on each of the crankshafts 16 and 17 and consists of a body portion 26, a crank bearing 27and a crank bearing cap 28. Side plates or sheets 29 are secured to theuppermost ends of the connecting rods and on opposing sides thereof bymeans of screws 30 and a cover plate 81 is secured at each end thereofon the uppermost ends of the connecting rods mounted on the cranks ofthe crank shafts 16 and 17, re spectively, the side plates and coverplates forming rails that act as connecting rods between the crankshafts. As shown in the drawings, each cover plate 31 is provided with aseries of louvers 32, each of which has an opening 32a and the purposeof said louvers will be hereinafter described.

In order to reduce the friction between the assemblies of side platesand connecting rods on each crank of the crank shafts 16 and 17 eachconnecting rod is provided with annular wear plates 33 that are rigidlymounted on a threaded spindle 34 and locked in position by means of jamnuts 35. Such spindle is adapted to rotate freely in either direction bybeing mounted in a ball bearing structure 36 on the connecting rod andthe wear plates are disposed in annular openings in the side sheets 29whereby they may abut against each other when a plurality of assembliesare mounted on the plurality of cranks which make up the crank shafts 16and 17.

With this construction I have provided a combined agitator and conveyerembodying a plurality of elements so constructed and operated that theelements will have an out-of-step and oscillatory movement when thedevice is operated and such movement will cause the material disposed onthe device to be simultaneously conveyed from one end thereof to theother and agitated during such conveyance.

In the operation of this apparatus, the tank 1 is filled with the oilthrough which the used packing is to be conveyed and such oil is heatedby means of the heating element 4 to the desired temperature. Then, thedevice is operated whereupon the used waste disposed thereon will beboth agitated and conveyed by the out-of-step oscillatory movement ofthe elements just described louvers 32 to subject the packing to aforceful oil bath.

Likewise, the device is equally applicable to use where the packingbeing conveyed and agitated is not to be subjected to a bath of liquid.For instance, where it is desired to remove solid matter from thepacking, such waste is placed upon the device where upon the out-of-steposcillatory movement of the elements will convey the packing from oneend thereof to the other and simultaneously agitate the packing to causethe solid matter to be shaken therefrom. It will be apparent that thedevice is also applicable to use in drying.

hat I claim is:

1. In journal box packing reclamation apparatus of the characterdescribed, an oilcont-aining receptacle; a plurality of louvered,packing-supporting elements arranged within said receptacle each of saidelements having at least a portion thereof lying within said oil; andmeans for causing an out of step vertical oscillatory movement of saidelements in said receptacle, whereby the packing on said elements issubjected to a cleaning effect by said oil.

2. In journal box packing reclamation apiaratns of the characterdescribed, an oilcontaining receptacle; a plurality ofpacking-supporting elements arranged within said receptacle, each ofsaid elements having at least a portion thereof lying within said oil;and means for causing an out of step vertical oscillatory movement ofsaid ele ments in said receptacle, said elements being provided withvertically disposed openings therethrough to enable the oil in saidreceptacle to flow, during oscillatory move ment of said elements,through the openings in said elements-onto the packing carried thereby,whereby the packing on said ele ments is subjected to a cleaning efiiectby said oil.

8. In ournal box packing reclamation apparatus of the characterdescribed, an oilcontaining receptacle; spaced crank shafts arrangedwithin said receptacle and each carrying a plurality of cranks indexedin different directions; means for operating said cranks in unison; anda plurality-of packing-supporting elements mounted on said cranks andvertically oscillatable by rotation thereof, said elements beingprovided with vertically disposed openings therethrough to enable theoil in said receptacle to flow, during vertical oscillation of saidelements, through said openings in said elements onto the packingcarried thereby, whereby said packing is subjected to a cleaning effectby said oil.

4.' In journal box packing reclamation apparatus of the characterdescribed, an oilcontaining receptacle; a plurality ofpacking-supporting elements mounted within said receptacle, each of saidelements hav ing at least a portion thereof lying within said oil; andmeans for causing an out of step vertical oscillatory movement of saidelements in said receptacle, said elements being provided withvertically disposed openings therethrough to enable the oil in saidreceptacle to be forced, during vertical oscillatory movement of saidelements, through the openings therein onto the packing carried thereby,whereby said packing is subjected to a cleaning effect by said oil.

5. In journal box packing reclamation apparatus of the characterdescribed, an oilcontaining receptacle; spaced parallel crank shafts insaid receptacle, the adjacent cranks of each of said shafts beingindexed in different directions and the coinciding cranks of said shaftsbeing indexed in the same direction; means for operating said crankshafts in unison; and a plurality of 1011- vered, packing-supportingelements mounted on said cranks and vertically oscillatable by rotationthereof, each of said elements having at least a portion thereof lyingwithin the oil in said receptacle, whereby said packing is subjected toa cleaning effect by said oil.

In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my signature.

EDWIN S. PEARCE.

